Unveiling Blockchain Technology in Construction Supply Chain Management: The What, When, Who, Where, and How Towards Digitalization

Abstract

Digitalization and technology disruptions have ushered in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), which is now required for many sectors. On the other hand, the building sector is seen to be among those that is resistant to change. The possibility of implementing blockchain technology in the building sector has not received much attention. The cryptocurrency space is not new to blockchain technology. In essence, it is a public ledger or distributed database that contains all the executed and shared digital events or transactions between all involved parties. Herein lies the utility of blockchain technology, particularly in the highly transactional construction sector.Blockchain technology records every transaction and arranges all the “blocks” into a “chain,” acting as a middleman in every transaction we make to foster trust. In the construction business, supply chain management spans a range of stakeholders, including contractors, manufacturers, consultants, and clients. It also covers numerous construction organization activities, starting with planning, design, construction, and maintenance. Numerous activities lead to a large volume of transactions that impede communication and cooperation between these parties and result in expensive arbitration or lawsuit cases. It has been acknowledged that blockchain technology is one of the cutting-edge innovations that have the potential to revolutionize several sectors.Using blockchain technology has several benefits, such as lower transaction costs, protection against data tampering and falsification, and more flexibility. Because it involves so many transactions between many parties, the construction sector is typically seen as having a lot of potential for using blockchain technology. There aren’t many examples of blockchain uses in the construction sector, despite its apparent benefits.